Horse Colours

[Jeremy]

Kronoskaf are quite clear that the Royal Horse and 1st Dragoon Guards rode black horses. I’m painting up the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons and there’s no mention of horse color. Pictures of them mounted are hard to come by, the only one I can find is a Morier painting depicting a trooper on a black horse.

My question is, can I take this picture as accurate? It seems like on all the artwork I’ve seen that British Dragoons (except for the 2nd) from this period are riding black horses. This surely can’t be accurate? I can’t believe other horse colours weren’t used.

Anyone got any info?

[grizzlymc]

I have no idea whence came the idea, but I have always had the inniskillings on black horses, the rest of the dragoons and all but the first dragoon guards and the Scots Greys rode browns.

[Purple]

Probable.
The school of thought in the period was that darker horses were physically stronger and better so the Dragoons and heavier cavalry got the pick.
There was the odd exception - the Prussians were quite partial to certain breeds of English grey. Several generals bought some for lots of dosh - Frederick had several.

But generally, everyone preferred a big powerful black one between there legs.

[levied troop]

Pull up to my bumper baby, drive it in between?

[Jeremy]

Another interesting point I noticed on all the Morier paintings is that the horses belonging to the troopers all had docked tails. Officers horse don’t appear to be.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

Possibly because officers provided their own horses and thus wanted them to be distinguishable?

There's a reference to the regiment being referred to as "The Black Dragoons" in 1715, when it was used to quell riots in Manchester. I believe it was also referred to by that name around the Napoleonic period. Since no British regiment in either period would have worn black coats, the only reasonable assumption is that it refers to the horses.

A quick scan through most (all?) of Morier's equestrian military paintings of British subjects show (a) personalities on bays/chestnuts, (b) troopers all on black horses, (c) musicians on white horses, and (d) only light dragoons on non-blacks. He does, however, show foreign heavy cavalry riding horses of a range of colours, which suggests that he recorded the British troopers accurately.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Morie ... 66&bih=662

[grizzlymc]

Black dragoons - black Irish, might not be a reference to the donkeys.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

Black Irish refers to folk living along the west coast of Ireland; Enniskillen is way further east.

[Jeremy]

Thanks guys. Black it is then!

[Essex Boy]

In the Royal Mews there's a 120ft painting of the coronation of William IV. The coronation was in 1831 so there had been sixteen years of peace and of inventing the prettiest uniform the British Army has ever worn.

I took a few snaps when I visited......they turn out crap.

But they do show Household troops mounted on non black horses. From their position in the procession I'm not sure whether it can be argued that it's only officers who are mounted on the non black horses.

I suppose it's a question of making of what you wish from this source.